News Article

The Cleaner paves the way for record sale

13 / 02 / 2015 Article by: TR Internal
icon Click to enlarge

THE success of Tasmania’s equine cult hero The Cleaner during the spring in Victoria has played a major role in the success of the 2015 Tasmanian Magic Million Yearling Sale held in Launceston yesterday.

A three-quarter brother to The Cleaner (Lot 44) sold for $100,000 to set a new record for the sale.

Buyers parted with $1,534,000 on 107 lots at an average of over $17,300 which set a new benchmark for a Tasmanian sale.

The top priced yearling, bred by prominent Tasmanian breeders Ian Creese and Rhonda Hall, was purchased by Slade Bloodstock’s Robert Slade who emerged the victor after a spirited bidding war with six other buyers keen to secure the bay colt.

“We came to Tasmania specifically to purchase this colt and we are thrilled to have our name on the sale docket,” Slade said.

“He is very well put together and he looks like a tough horse, at least we are hoping he is as tough like The Cleaner,” he said.

The Cleaner captured the imagination of the nation during Victoria’s spring racing carnival during which he won the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes and the Group 3 JRA Cup by leading throughout.

While he failed to run a place in Australia’s most prestigious weight-for-age race the W. S. Cox Plate he placed third in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes at the end of the carnival with the public claiming him as the people’s horse.

The Cleaner’s band of owners and the horse’s trainer Mick Burles made an offer of $50,000 for the colt prior to the sale, which was rejected and yesterday they were out of the bidding war when the price hit $70,000.

The colt will find his way to the stables of talented Victorian trainer John McArdle who has been a regular visitor to the Tasmanian sales in recent years.

“This is the horse we came for so we are going home very happy,” McArdle said.

The national profile of The Cleaner enabled Tasbreeders to use his three-quarter brother as a marketing tool.

“There’s no doubt that The Cleaner is responsible for us being interested in the sale this year and if this colt ends up being half as good as The Cleaner then he’ll be a great horse,” Slade said.

The Cleaner was sold for only $10,000 at the 2010 Tasmanian Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

A striking colt by Zoffany from Genuine Blonde, that is a half-brother to last week’s Hobart Cup runner-up Genuine Lad, was sold for $70,000 to Victorian Scott Brown and it will be trained in Victoria.

Tim Brown from Magic Millions said this was clearly the most successful sale in terms of gross and average price.

“The sale grossed a record $1.54 million which is up 54 per cent on last year and the average price was $17,337 which is almost 30 per cent better than the 2014 sale,” Brown said.

Top Sydney-based syndicator Denise Martin from Star Thoroughbreds purchased three yearlings comprising lots 7, 8 and 104 for a total of $93,000 and last season’s leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir paid $60,000 for a spectacular filly by Sebring.

Tasmania’s leading trainers David and Scott Brunton purchased seven and John Blacker opened up the cheque book and ended up with as many that will eventually make their way to his Longford stables with a colt by West Quest (Lot 99) his most expensive purchase at $32,000.

Robyn Whishaw from Armidale Stud, the state’s leading breeder, said this year’s sale was outstanding.

“The result from this sale is the shot in the arm the industry needed,” Whishaw said.

“From Armidale’s perspective it was a huge success with people prepared to pay good money for a quality horse,” she said.